A Navy search operation in the eastern seas this morning (03) resulted in the seizure of a local multiday fishing trawler carrying 51 people suspected of attempting illegal migration to a foreign country by sea.
The Navy conducts regular operations around the island, covering the sea and coastal areas, with the goal of suppressing illegal migration and other forms of illegal activity.
The Eastern Naval Command intercepted a suspicious local multiday fishing trawler carrying this group of people suspected of attempting to illegally migrate from the island during a search operation launched in the seas off Trincomalee this morning.
There were 41 males apprehended, including 06 people involved in the racket, 05 females, and 05 children. The Navy also detained the fishing vessel used in this illegal act, in addition to the suspects.
The suspects in this operation range in age from 05 to 56 years old and are from Jaffna, Vavuniya, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara, Gampaha, and Ratnapura. They will be turned over to the Trincomalee Harbour Police for further legal action.
Meanwhile, on July 2, 2022, a coordinated operation conducted by the Navy, Sri Lanka Coast Guard, and Police in Marawila resulted in the arrest of 24 people suspected of being illegal immigrants. They were apprehended while staying at a lodge in the area, preparing to leave the island by sea.
The group consisted of eight men, six women, and ten children. Furthermore, the raiding party apprehended the lodgekeeper who provided lodging for the group. Individuals apprehended ranged in age from three months to fifty years old and were identified as residents of Batticaloa, Valaichchenai, and Chilaw. They were turned over to Marawila Police for further legal action.
For the purpose of making fast money, smugglers cheat the innocent and organize this kind of unethical enterprise using unsafe vessels. As such, Navy urges the public to refrain from risking their lives by engaging in perilous sea voyages and be victims before the law.
